Overview Public policy significantly influences the achievement of Sustainable development considering the interconnectedness between policies, decisionmaking process and governance. Following Millenium Development Goals (MDGs), a global vision of development, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has been adopted across nations. SDGs provide a platform and direct national policies. However, the implementation of SDGs has to accommodate diversity among countries and development sectors.Capability to form rational judgements concerning sustainable development requires understanding of constitutional, political and geographical factors which affect the use of natural resources and management of environment.

Key arenas of public policy, such as environment, public administration reform, tourism, education, gender, economy, health, and local wisdom, and science and technological innovations urge us to think beyond and across sectors of development and field of knowledge in order to discover synergies and innovations in pursuing the achievement of SDGs.   In line with the increasing role and relevance of social computing in generating public value, this conference will explore the impacts of social computing on specific public services and their governance.

Deeper knowledge of interlinked between research, policy and development is urgently required to balance conflicting interests, set priorities, and steer the transformation process towards Sustainable Development. At this point, the International Conference on Public Policy and Social Development (ICPOSDev) conducted by the Department of Public Administration, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Universitas Sumatera Utara cordially invites researchers, policymakers, and development practitioners to share their knowledge and expertise at this conference with the theme of ‘Public Policy for Inclusive and Sustainable Development’.